Embracing The New Normal After more than two years of Covid-19 pandemic crisis, we have grown in ways we never imagined before. For some people, time has stood still and for others, it will never be the same. Our Essay Contest embraces these changes and emotions. Arianna Wilson, of Reynoldsburg deserves our Spot Light. She is our winner. Publisher’s Column by Les Somogyi What We’re All About As we begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel, this pandemic is beginning to soften its steadfast grip on us. Good. We need it. We need some form of normalcy in our lives. I am sincerely hoping that I am not jinxing this, but most signs point to a better tomorrow. And thank goodness to our capable city leaders, we are on our way to reclaim what we used to have prepandemic times: harmonious, energetic, suburban life. We are more knowledgeable, more weathered, more socially and culturally diverse but we are still united in aiming for being good Reynoldsburg citizens. Let’s not forget that. And that is the crux of this publication: uniting people in what is good in our community. What pulls us together and what makes us strong. I know it’s a profound statement, but it’s true. Citizens Police Academy has been such an incredible eye-opener for me. Spending a dozen or so weeks with the deepest, most intricate areas of the Reynoldsburg Police Department, in every facet of police work, made me realize - especially on your behalf - that police work is a serious, largely unforgiving business. Bottom line, there are so many evil people in the world, and sorting them out is not an easy task especially under enormous pressure. Yet, we have a handful of people who are willing to risk everything, every day, including their families, to keep you safe. They train for it and they are there every day and night. I am forever thankful for what they do and what they sacrifice for me and you. For some of these officers, going home without a hot lunch during the day is the least of it. Enduring12 to 14 hour shifts is not unusual. And saying “good bye” to your family in the morning is never, ever taken for granted. While evil is always lurking, these officers are trained for compassion and for safety. Reynoldsburg thanks you! Chamber of Commerce elected a new president, Christine Boucher, Business Partnership Coordinator at Eastland-Fairfield Career Center. Congratulations and welcome, Christine. Good luck for a successful year. Also new at the Chamber is Pam Coulter, executive director. Welcome, Pam. Multi-Cultural Day is set to take place May 21 at the high school’s Livingston Avenue campus. The day is expected to feature art, music, singing, dancing from various multinational cultures that are represented in Reynoldsburg. Missing In America Project, a national program to locate, identify and bury the thousands of unclaimed cremated remains of American veterans, has major local connection. Reynoldsburg City Auditor Steve Cicak is coordinating the Ohio section of this project, a massive undetaking of volunteers properly give last rites, respect and gravesite marking of these seemingly forgotten heroes. Once identified, these veterans will be buried with full military honors. Empty marble urns are now stored courtesy of Fisher’s Gardens in Reynoldsburg until the many missing soldiers are identified and can be honorably processed. 4 SPOT LIGHT “You have two lives. Your second life begins Arianna Wilson is a 16-year-old student, home-schooled in Reynoldsburg. She is the winner of Reynoldsburg Magazine’s Essay Contest. Below is her winning essay. The impact that a global pandemic creates on the world is huge, and the personal impact it makes is even bigger. Coming out of COVID-19 into the ‘new normal’, I’m not a kid anymore. I had to learn how to make my own normal based on who I am now, who I became during the pandemic. One of my biggest challenges at the beginning of quarantining was being alone. As a kid, I was always very enthusiastic about being with people and having friends. However, spending time alone helped me realize that I liked it. It gave me a chance to learn about who I was when nobody else was around. In a way, my challenge of having to learn to be alone turned into joy. Another challenge that I went through was learning how to be with my family all the time. My mom often asks me, ‘how can you live with and love people in the outside world, if you can’t even live with your own family?’ By spending time with them, it helped me to become aware of my place in the world and helped me realize who I was before finding who I am with others. Reynoldsburg Judges: Jen Knox is a writer and educator who can often be seen walking her two crazy dogs around Reynoldsburg. She is serious about writing. Her first novel will be released later this fall. Jenknox.com Jen Knox Mandy Young is a first-term member of the Reynoldsburg Board of Education and graduated with a B.A. in English from Ohio State University. Judges’ comments: “Arianna's essay offers insight into how young people had to grow up fast during the pandemic. The perspective and optimism expressed, especially in her last few lines, truly warms my heart.” JK “I love that Arianna’s essay displays how personal growth can occur during challenging times.” MY Reynoldsburg Magazine • Spring, 2022 Mandy Young So what does it mean to return to normal? For me, for the longest time I was so sure that everything would return to my old way of life. But as time went on, I realized that I was going to have to form a new normal, my normal. There is a quote I like that says, “You have two lives. Your second life begins once you realize that you only have one.” The definition of normal is this - conforming to a standard, usually typical or expected. Something which is presupposed. If our sense of normal is just conforming to something that someone else expects, how can we live our lives? Being in a pandemic taught me to make the most of the life you have; to learn to be in the moment now. I can’t go back to the person that I was before COVID-19, but I can take advantage of the life that I have, and make my own normal the very best. I see this as a second chance rather than an inconvenience - a second chance to make my life everything that I want it to be. once you realize that you only have one.” Photo Courtesy of Ari Wilson
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